ARM Rivalry Intensifies: NVIDIA, AMD vs Qualcomm

Qualcomm once had an exclusive agreement with Microsoft, allowing only Qualcomm chipsets to be used by OEM manufacturers for any Windows on ARM platform laptops. However, things are changing, as the CEO of ARM has stated that the agreement between the two companies will expire later this year, opening up opportunities for other chipset manufacturers to enter the market and provide more choices for customers.

NVIDIA, AMD, and MediaTek will be introducing ARM-based chipsets for the Windows platform, indicating intensified competition with Qualcomm in this field.

ARM CEO Rene Haas recently discussed various topics, including the exclusive agreement between Qualcomm and Microsoft, in an interview with Stratechery. Over the years, the “Windows on ARM” platform allowed laptop manufacturers like HP, Lenovo, and Dell to release laptops using ARM chipsets, but these specific models only used Qualcomm’s SoC, thanks to the exclusive partnership with Microsoft.

Now, Haas believes that the days of this exclusive agreement are numbered. With the agreement expiring later this year, it presents significant opportunities for other manufacturers to enter the market and grab market share from Qualcomm.

“Yes, it makes sense. I think Microsoft and Windows have been exclusively collaborating with Qualcomm to develop the Arm system for a long time. Now, there are reports that NVIDIA or AMD will produce Arm chips for Windows. Does this symbolize Arm adopting a dual licensing model? I think, considering the way Windows is expanding, yes, I believe the exclusive partnership between Qualcomm and Windows will end this year, and this has been well confirmed. I think the time is this year.”

While Qualcomm prepares the Snapdragon X Elite for various laptops, we reported towards the end of 2023 that NVIDIA and AMD might introduce ARM-based chipsets, and MediaTek could also enter the same market. Analysts have praised MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300, although primarily targeting smartphones, this Taiwanese semiconductor company has rich experience and resources to compete with Qualcomm in another field.

Currently, Qualcomm may have the upper hand with its Snapdragon X Elite; earlier multicore comparisons show that this laptop SoC is 21% faster than Apple’s latest M3. By the end of 2024 or early 2025, other manufacturers may introduce their new products, and by then, we will be able to see the outcome.

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